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I have request for putting names on Christmas stockings and monograms and I have no idea on how much to charge. Is there a formula for knowing how to price embroidering?

Donna

User: heartland
Member since: 05-23-2001
Total posts: 88

From: lendube

Date: 11-14-2006, 02:51 PM (2 of 13)

Hi Donna, You can do a search of the posts here. I know it wasn't too long ago we talked at length about this subject.

I know I've pretty much settled on:

$1.00 - $1.50 per 1000 stitches. Depending on how difficult the project is the price is adjusted accordingly. (And for whom I'm doing the work but don't tell anyone!)

I will charge a set up fee if time online is involved. I charge only what I pay for purchased designs. I figure they benefit but I get to keep the design. I always check with them and get the okay.

Check out the other posts though. Lots of info there.

Good luck, Have fun. Lennie

User: lendube
Member since: 08-06-2006
Total posts: 1548

From: mamadus

Date: 11-21-2006, 08:09 PM (3 of 13)

sometimes with names though... you may find that a name has relatively few stitches... you have to figure out what's your minimum... I personally won't do any project for less than $3 per hooping... and for me to charge only $3 it better have a lot fewer than 3K stitches and only one color... if there's more than one color, even if it has fewer than 5k stitches, its still a minimum $5...

just my 2 cents...

MO

life is too short, not to explore

User: mamadus
Member since: 12-31-2004
Total posts: 492

From: paroper

Date: 11-30-2006, 12:19 AM (4 of 13)

I charge $1 per thousand stitches and while many charge $1.50. I have a flat hooping fee of $5 for EACH hooping. I do not charge for any purchased designs (at least not yet). I figure I'll make that back in hooping charges and return in the long-run. I usually give them a rough estimate of what the price might run them. If they agree that the price sounds reasonable, I set up the design and give them a final fee. Even with purchased designs you can give them a pretty good feel for the cost of the work before you get started (without purchase since most designs have stitch details available for viewing). I certainly do not see a problem in charging for the designs you purchase if they need something you don't have. Some people do not charge the hooping charges. I do because you have so much tied up in threads and even more in stabilizer, not to mention time...I think that is an important part of the charge. You can use an entire roll of expensive stabilizer in nothing flat on some projects.

I agree Pam... you can't just go by stitch count... although I have to admit... I fudged on my basic price today with a new client,,, I dropped my basic hoop price to $4 for 5 thousand stitches or less, because I anticipate getting a lot of business from this particular client.... and most of the things I will do for her will be far fewer than 5k stitches... mostly just left chest lettering... but yeah... if you went only by stitch count, there are a lot of things it just wouldn't be worth my time and stabilizer to hoop...

MO

life is too short, not to explore

User: mamadus
Member since: 12-31-2004
Total posts: 492

From: Chrysantha

Date: 11-30-2006, 01:32 AM (6 of 13)

I'm with Pam...charge for the hooping, ESPECIALLY if the stockings are FURRY, VELVET, BROCADE or NEEDLE POINT. You are going to need extra stabilizer. (for the top and bottom of the design. To keep the stitches from sinking in the fur, velvet, etc.)

Chrys

User: Chrysantha
Member since: 09-06-2002
Total posts: 2414

From: esrun3

Date: 11-30-2006, 03:38 PM (7 of 13)

I just took a stocking in to have embroidered professionally (I'm gonna have to get a machine!) They are charging $10 per line, your choice color, script.

I only had one of them done, the baby's...can't afford to do 4 of them right now altho I thought it was very reasonable. Besides the other 3 grandkids have stockings, I was just going to make them because the kit I picked up had 4 stockings in it. So will make the baby's so she has one (if she EVER shows up) and will maybe do the others by hand or wait until next year sometime to have them done.

Lyn

User: esrun3
Member since: 12-02-2004
Total posts: 2345

From: Chrysantha

Date: 11-30-2006, 07:43 PM (8 of 13)

If you took it into a 'pro' they probaby have a $10,000 machine (or more)...they HAVE to charge just to pay for the machine they have..

Chrys

User: Chrysantha
Member since: 09-06-2002
Total posts: 2414

From: paroper

Date: 11-30-2006, 08:32 PM (9 of 13)

$10,000 isn't really all that much for a professional machine. I looked at a pro model back in 92 that was $24,0000. I haven't priced one of those recently. My 200 was $7,000 three years ago. 10,000 Will buy a decent home/commercial crossover machine.

Yes I took the stocking to a "pro". I didn't think $10 was out of line for doing the baby's name on it. Actually, I think it's very reasonable-I walked in expecting to pay more than that. Their work looks good on their samples. I just can't afford to lay out $40 to do all the kids at one time.

Lyn

User: esrun3
Member since: 12-02-2004
Total posts: 2345

From: craftedbylouise

Date: 12-29-2006, 05:11 PM (11 of 13)

I have a friend who does the annual 3-day breast cancer walk/run and when she found out I had just gotten a new embroidery machine she requested that I gear up to make 300 to 1000 t-shirts for the coming years event.

I had to stop her in her tracks to let her know I ONLY have a small home machine, she asked me what would it take to "upgrade" I told her 25k to 100k dollars.

She hasn't said another word about me doing t-shirts, but knowing her the subject is not lost she will be "plotting" her next move in getting me to make these shirts for her.

However I did some general research on industrial grade machines and found they are not as much as some of the home machines I was looking at (but can't afford).

Well, if you WANT to do it, you could go to the PR600 (which now has a newer model...might even be able to make a "deal" on the PR600). It is a 6 needle machine and a whole lot faster than a standard home machine. You could easily do it for under 10K, if you both were truly interested....but if you bought the machine with your proceeds, you probably could not pay for it from the proceeds of just one event, not sure, depends on the mark up. Garments that are embroidered, not silk screened are a whole lot more expensive.

Remember too though that you would have to declare your business, so the cost of the machine would come back to you in a few years...so you would gain all the money back...getting a large start like that can be a real blessing IF you can find a way to continue the business. The largest portion of the problem is getting the reputation and starting the business...this is a ready made deal. You would also want to be sure that you got your name in the shirt somehow so that you could see some of the profit come back in new business....there are places to get bags, tags, etc...you would have to check into the legalities of adding your name to a major brand t-shirt and you'd have to get a good t-shirt source.